Boozy Christmas Pudding

By Shona MacAllister

Alright, let’s have a chat about making a proper Christmas pudding—none of that light and airy nonsense here, we want rich and hearty. This old-school British treat is all about those deep flavours and a good bit of booze, so let’s get to it.

Ingredients:

• 200g mixed dried fruits (think currants, raisins, and sultanas)
• 100g chopped dried figs or dates
• 100g candied peel
• 100ml of your favourite brandy or rum (whichever you fancy)
• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 200g breadcrumbs (fresh is great, but stale works too)
• 100g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice or pumpkin spice (whatever gets you in the festive mood)
• A pinch of salt
• Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
• A splash of milk (just to loosen things up if needed)

Method:

1. Soak Those Fruits: First things first, grab yourself a bowl and toss in all those dried fruits. Pour the brandy or rum over them and let that soak overnight—this is where the magic begins. The booze seeps in and gives your pudding that lovely depth of flavour.
2. Mix It Up: The next day, cream together the softened butter and dark brown sugar in a big mixing bowl until it’s light and fluffy. You’ll feel like a real chef at this point!
3. Eggy Addition: Add in the eggs one at a time, giving it a good mix until everything is combined.
4. Dry Ingredients: Now, chuck in the breadcrumbs, self-raising flour, mixed spice, salt, lemon, and orange zest. Fold it all together gently, just until everything’s blended.
5. Fruity Goodness: Remember those boozy fruits—stir them in, making sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the mix. If things feel a bit too thick, a splash of milk should help loosen them up.
6. Prepare for Steaming: Grease a pudding basin well. Pour your mixture into the basin and smooth the top. Cover it with baking parchment, then tie it with string—this will help keep the steam in while it cooks.
7. Steam It: Place your pudding in a pot of boiling water (the water should come halfway up the sides of the basin). Let it steam for about 6-8 hours. It sounds like a long while, but hey, good things take time!
8. Cool and Store: Once it’s done, let it cool completely. If you’re not eating it straight away, wrap it up tightly and store it in a cool, dark place. A few weeks later, when you’re ready to indulge, give it another splash of brandy and steam it again for about 2 hours.
9. Serve It Up: When it’s time to impress, turn it out onto a plate, warm it up gently, and set it alight with a splash of brandy. Watch it flame up, then serve it with a good dollop of cream or custard.

And there you have it—a proper Christmas pudding that’ll warm your heart and belly alike. Happy cooking!

History

From its humble medieval beginnings, Christmas pudding has transformed from a hearty meat stew into the beloved dessert that we’re familiar with today. I find it fascinating how this dish started in the 14th century as frumenty, a thick stew combining beef or mutton with fruits and spices.

Over time, it evolved to include the rich mixture of eggs, breadcrumbs, and dried fruits we now know and love. Traditional recipes often include dark sugars and treacle that give the pudding its characteristic deep color.

The pudding’s cultural significance really took off when King George I requested it at his first royal Christmas feast in 1714. This royal connection helped establish it as a cherished holiday tradition.

I’m particularly intrigued by how the Victorians embraced it, making it an exclusively sweet dessert by the 1830s. The royal traditions continued when the Empire Marketing Board shared the royal family’s recipe in 1927, featuring a delightful mix of brandy, dark rum, and beer.

What I love most about Christmas pudding is how it appears in beloved literature like Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” cementing its place in British culture and spreading its influence worldwide.

Recipe

The traditional Christmas pudding is a rich, dense dessert that combines dried fruits, spices, and alcohol into a festive centrepiece. This recipe creates a deeply flavoured pudding that serves 8-10 people and can be made months in advance of the holiday season.The key to a successful Christmas pudding lies in properly soaking the fruits and allowing adequate steaming time. This guarantees the pudding develops its characteristic dark colour and complex flavour profile while maintaining the perfect moisture balance throughout. Some families pass down their pudding recipes through generations, as the dessert can be stored for a year while maintaining its quality.

• 450g mixed dried fruits (raisins, currants, sultanas)
• 225g suet
• 110g breadcrumbs
• 110g self-raising flour
• 175g dark muscovado sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150ml brandy
• 1 apple, grated
• 2 oranges, zested
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 100g almonds, chopped
• 1 tbsp black treacle

Soak the dried fruits in brandy overnight. The next day, mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add the beaten eggs, grated apple, and soaked fruits with their liquid. Stir thoroughly until well combined.

Grease a 1.5L pudding basin and pour in the mixture. Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper and foil, securing with string. Steam the pudding in a large pan of simmering water for 6 hours, making certain the water level remains halfway up the basin. Once cooled, replace the paper and foil covering and store in a cool, dark place.

For best results, make this pudding at least one month before Christmas, allowing time for the flavours to mature. When storing, check the pudding periodically and add a tablespoon of brandy every few weeks to maintain moisture and enhance the flavour.

On serving day, steam for an additional 2 hours until thoroughly heated, then flame with warm brandy for the traditional presentation.

Step By Step

I’m excited to walk you through the essential steps of making your Christmas pudding, starting with gathering your liquor and dried fruits for that rich, boozy flavour.

Once you’ve got your fruits soaking, we’ll mix the dried ingredients together before combining butter with beaten eggs, adding our aromatic spices, and incorporating the flour.

The pudding’s deep flavour will improve as it ages through several months of storage, making this a perfect make-ahead holiday dessert.

You’ll want to stir the batter until everything’s perfectly combined, keeping in mind the traditional east-to-west stirring motion that brings luck to your festive creation.

Step 1. Gather Liquor and Dried Fruits

Ready to create a delicious Christmas pudding? Let’s start with fruit soaking and liquor selection – two essential steps that’ll give your pudding that rich, festive flavour I love sharing during the holidays.

I’ll guide you through choosing your dried fruits first. You’ll want a colourful mix of currants, sultanas, raisins, and candied peel. Prepare to grease your bowls with Trex before starting the pudding mixture.

Don’t forget to add some prunes, dried apricots, and cranberries for extra depth. I always include glacé cherries and blanched almonds too – they add such wonderful texture and sweetness!

For the liquor, I recommend dark rum or brandy as your base. If you’re feeling adventurous, try combining both! Cognac and Calvados are fantastic alternatives, and a splash of sweet sherry can add lovely complexity.

Once you’ve chosen your liquor, combine it with your fruits in a large bowl, add some tangerine juice and zest, and let everything soak overnight. I’ve found this really helps the fruits plump up beautifully.

Remember to store your mixture in a cool, dark place until you’re ready for the next step!

Step 2. Mix Dried Ingredients Together

Precision matters when mixing your dried ingredients for a traditional Christmas pudding. I’ll show you how to combine these festive gems to create the perfect foundation.

First, I gather all my dried fruits – the raisins, sultanas, and currants – which provide natural sweetness and amazing dried fruit benefits like fiber and antioxidants.

In a large mixing bowl, I combine these fruits with mixed candied peel, chopped prunes, and dried apricots. After combining the fruits, I add a generous splash of brandy for soaking overnight.

Next, I add my breadcrumbs – about 50g of fresh white ones – along with 100g of blanched almonds for that wonderful nutty crunch. The spice variations really make this pudding sing, so I include 2 tablespoons of mixed spice, adjusting to taste.

Now comes the essential part: I fold in the flour carefully, making sure every bit of dried fruit gets a light coating. This helps prevent the fruits from sinking to the bottom during steaming.

I also grate some fresh citrus zest over the mixture – it’s amazing how this brightens the whole blend. The key is to stir thoroughly but gently, ensuring everything’s evenly distributed.

Step 3. Combine Butter With Beaten Eggs

Successfully combining butter with beaten eggs requires careful attention to temperature and technique. I’ll guide you through proper emulsification techniques to guarantee your Christmas pudding turns out perfectly.

First, I cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy – this usually takes about 3-4 minutes with an electric mixer or 5-6 minutes by hand with a wooden spoon.

Now comes the vital part: I add the beaten eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. This gradual approach prevents the mixture from curdling and creates a smooth, well-combined batter. If you’re looking for ingredient substitutions, you can use margarine instead of butter, though I find butter gives the best flavour and texture.

While mixing, I keep a close eye on the consistency. If the mixture starts to look slightly curdled, I don’t panic – adding a tablespoon of the pre-mixed dried ingredients can help bring everything back together. For extra richness, I incorporate a single cream into the mixture after the eggs are fully combined.

The key is patience and attention to detail during this step.

Step 4. Add Spices and Flour

The aromatic blend of spices transforms this Christmas pudding from ordinary to extraordinary. I’ll show you how to incorporate these magical ingredients that’ll make your dessert burst with festive flavors.

First, I combine my favourite spice combinations – mixed spice, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt – into the butter and sugar mixture. If you don’t have mixed spice on hand, don’t worry! I often use a blend of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg as a fantastic substitute.

Now, let’s talk about flour alternatives. While I typically use self-raising flour, you can easily swap it for all-purpose flour mixed with baking powder. For my gluten-free friends, a good quality gluten-free flour blend works wonderfully too.

I fold the flour and breadcrumbs together before incorporating them into the spiced butter mixture. This combination creates the perfect structure while helping to absorb moisture. Creating this mixture months in advance allows for the best flavour development.

Remember to fold gently – you want everything evenly distributed without overmixing. The key is achieving that ideal balance where the spices shine through and the flour provides just enough body to hold everything together beautifully.

Step 5. Stir Batter Until Combined

Mindful stirring brings all our carefully measured ingredients together into Christmas pudding perfection.

I’ll guide you through the mixing techniques that’ll transform your ingredients into a beautifully combined batter. Start by mixing your dry ingredients in a large bowl, ensuring the spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour.

Now comes my favourite part – the family traditions! Gather everyone around as you add the wet ingredients, and let each person take a turn stirring the mixture clockwise (just as the Wise Men journeyed from east to west). The recipe calls for 50g self-raising flour as the base ingredient to start with.

Don’t forget to make a wish – it’s part of the magic! I use a sturdy wooden spoon to combine everything until the batter reaches that ideal thick-but-pourable consistency.

Keep an eye on the texture as you stir. If it’s too dry, I’ll add a splash of milk or brandy.

Remember not to overmix – we want the pudding light, not dense. Once everything’s evenly combined and lump-free, I let the mixture rest for several hours.

This waiting period allows all those wonderful flavours to meld together perfectly.

Conclusion

I’ve found that making Boozy Christmas Pudding isn’t just about creating a dessert; it’s about weaving memories into every stir. Like the dried fruits that plump with brandy, our family traditions swell with meaning each year. When I light the pudding and watch those blue flames dance, I’m reminded that this isn’t just a recipe – it’s a torch we pass down, illuminating our holidays with warmth and connection.